2004-05-23

Bush startet Spinning-Kampagne

--- US-Präsident Bush will den schlechten Nachrichten aus dem Irak mit einer großangelegten Kampagne für positive thinking rund um die "Befreiung" des Zweistromlands entgegenwirken. Den Startschuss soll nach Informationen der Washington Post eine Rede Bushs vor dem schon obligatorischen Soldatenpublikum bilden, diesmal am US Army War College. The White House then intends to circulate this week a draft U.N. resolution on post-occupation Iraq, wrap up negotiations with Iraqis on an interim government and begin shoring up the coalition to ensure that other foreign forces also stay after June 30, U.S. officials said. "There's a sense that this week is our chance to create some movement in a different direction. We'll start talking about the future, not the past, by focusing on the U.N. resolution and [U.N. envoy Lakhdar] Brahimi's transition process. Sure there'll still be plenty of arguments, but it will be about the future, and that's a healthy change," said a senior State Department official who would speak only on condition of anonymity. Dann soll es immer so weiter gehen: In the first of at least six presidential speeches on Iraq before June 30, Bush will particularly try to counter growing criticism that Washington has lowered the goal posts for its year-long occupation, U.S. officials said. Critics and Iraq experts have charged that the administration has backed down from its original pledge to create a strong new democracy that would be a catalyst for a broad political transformation in the Middle East and is instead settling on an exit strategy that will leave a fragile government unable to protect itself. "He will talk about the importance of not lowering our sights and sticking to our goals of a free, peaceful, democratic Iraq, of adhering to our commitment to the June 30 transfer of sovereignty, and of an election in a January time frame," said a White House official who insisted on anonymity. Anscheinend glaubt das Weiße Haus noch, mit dem Herumgespinne das Ruder herumreißen zu können. Aber viel anderes bleibt Bush und Konsorten momentan auch nicht übrig. Nur ein wenig Abwechslung im Aufbau und Inhalt der Kampagnen wäre doch hübsch.